وَإِنِّى كُلَّمَا دَعَوْتُهُمْ لِتَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ جَعَلُوٓا۟ أَصَـٰبِعَهُمْ فِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَٱسْتَغْشَوْا۟ ثِيَابَهُمْ وَأَصَرُّوا۟ وَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ ٱسْتِكْبَارًا Qur’an Nuh (71:7)Wainnee kullam a daAAawtuhum litaghfira lahum jaAAaloo a sa biAAahum fee atha nihim wa i staghshaw thiy a bahum waa s arroo wa i stakbaroo istikb a r a n
For the reason of the above interpolation - which endows the concept of "garments" with a metaphorical meaning - see note [2] on 74:4 ; cf. also the expression "garment of God-consciousness" (libas at-taqwa) in 7:26 .
The literal meaning would be that, just as they thrust their fingers into their ears to prevent the voice of the admonisher reaching them, so they covered their bodies with their garments that the light of truth should not penetrate to them and that they should not even be seen by the Prophet.